Mechanism for producing metal plates



March 22 1927.

- 1,622,060 w. J. STOOP MECHANISM FOR PRODUCING METAL PLATES Fi1edFeb-1-o, 1925 vAll-lll Patented Mar. 22., lUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J'. STOOP, 0F WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA.

MECHANISM FOR IPRODUCING- METAL PLATES.

Application filed February This invention relates broadly to rolling mills, and more specifically to apparatus forv .the economical production of plates of wide and light gauges.

In describing the invention in detail, reference is herein had to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure l is a plan view of the invention; and- Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse section of the rotary transfer table.

Referring to said drawings7 l indicates a roughing mill of three-high type, and 2 and 3 designate conveyor tables located, respectively, at. the front and rear sides of said mill, and whereon the metal is directed forwardly and back in its various lpasses through said mill, said tables being of a common tilting type so that they areadapted to advance the metal to and receive the metal from either the lower or upper pass of the mill, according to the direction of travel.

A feed table 4 is located in front of the conveyor table 2, said table being designed to receive thereon hot metal slabs for rolling and to have said slabs rest thereon until such time as the roughing rolls are ready io receive them. Said table 4 embodies conveyor disks or rollers 5 upon which the slabs may be .advanced to the table 2 as required.

When the metal has been reduced by the required number of passes through the roughing mill l, it is advanced by the table 3 to a conveyor 6 embodying rollers which, as will hereinafter be described, are carried by a rotary 'table 7, said conveyor 6 being interposed between said table 3 and a conveyor table 8.- Said table 8 is located at the front side of a set of finishing rolls 9, and located on the opposite side of said rolls is a similar table '10. Said tables 8 and 10,

10, 1925. Serial N0. 8,290.

which are of tiltable type, are designed to feed the metal backk and forth through the finishing mill 9 in the usual manner, said mill also being of the three-high type.

Due to the loss of heat which must unavoidably occur during rolling, it is impossible to effect the reduction of the metal necessary in the production of plates, especially in wide, thin gauges, without reheating between the initial and finishing stages of rolling. Such reheatino may be required either immediately following the reduction effected by the roughing mill l or following the partial further reduction effected by the finishing mill 9. In either case, the metal is delivered to the rollers of the'rotar table 7 which is preferably of the. turn-tab e type I shown in Fig. 2, being carried by ball bearings 11- adapted for travel in a ball race provided in a circular trackway 12.

Located adjacent to the table 7 at one side, or at each of the opposite sides, of the path of travel of the metal from the roughing rolls to the finishing rolls is one or more ieheating furnaces. In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 1, two reheating furnaces are located on each side of said path of travel, the saine being designated A, B, C and D, each disposed at an angle of approximately 4.5 degrees to said path. In cases where less furnace capacity for reheating is required, but two furnaces may be provided, one at each of the opposite sides of the rotary table, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l; or, in some cases, one such reheating furnace may suiice. When a plurality of furnaces are employed, they are preferablyarranged in oppositely disposed pairs, as shown, thereby to permit plates to be removed from one furnace as plates are being delivered to the other.

When, in reducing the metal, reheating thereof is required, the piece of metal is dclivered to the rollers of the rotary table either by the conveyor table 3 or the conveyor table 8, according as it emerges from the roughing rolls or `the finishing rolls. Said rotary table is then rotated through- 'out the distancel required to aline its rollersV with the furnace to which delivery is to be made, as the furnace whereupon the piece vof metal to be reheated is advanced on said rollers to saidfurnace, A. reheated plate may then be withdrawn to position on said rollers either from the opposite furnace D or from one or the other et' the remaining two furnaces B or C, following which said rotary table is returned to its normal position wherein its conveyor rolls are alined with the conveyor tables 3 and 8.

With the described relative arrangement of roughing and finishing mills, conveyors, reheating furnaces, and intermediate rotary table, the production of exceptionally thin and wide sheets in quantity is rendered possible. Additionally, the reheating following partial reduction improves the product through the removal of scale from the sur faces of the plates.

1. In mechanism for producing .sheet metal plates, roughing and finishing mills, alined conveyors between said mills upon which plates are passed and returned through said mills; a rotary table located intermediate said conveyors7 a conveyor carried by said table, a reheating furnace located laterally with respect to said table, said table in one position being adapted to present the conveyor thereof in alinement with the irst mentioned conveyors for trans,- fer of plates directly from the roughing mill to the finishing mill; and in another position to present the conveyor thereof in alinement with said furnace for transferring sheets to and from the latter.

2. In mechanism for producing sheet metal plates, roughing and vfinishing mills, alined conveyors between said -mills upon which plates may be handled for forward and return passes; a rotary table located intermediate said conveyors, a reheating furnace located laterally with respect to said table, and a conveyor carried by said table adapted in one position of the latter to sup lement the first mentioned conveyors for orming a continuous forward and back transfer path between said mills, said tablecarried conve or, in another position of said table, being ispose'd in sheet delivery and receiving position with respect to said furnace.

3. In 'mechanism for producing sheet metal plates, roughing and finishing mills, alined conveyors between said mills upon which plates are advanced and returned for passes through said mills; a rotary table located intermediate said'conveyors, a plurality of reheating furnaces located laterally with respect to said table, and a conve or carried by said table, said table being adapted for rotation for presenting its conveyor either in transferring alinement with the first mentioned conveyors or in sheet delivery and receiving relation to any of said furnaces.

4. In mechanism for producing sheet metal plates, roughing and finishing mills, alined conveyors between said mills, a rotary table located intermediate said conveyors, a plurality of reheating furnaces located laterally with respect to said table, said furnaces being arranged in oppositely disposed pairs,

said table embodying a conveyor adapted to be shifted with rotary movements of the table into and out of, alined transferring re lation to the first mentioned conveyors and into and out of operative transferring relation to any of said furnace-s.

5. In mechanism for producing sheet metal plates, a set of reducing rolls, reversible conve ors at opposite sides of said rolls for delivering plates to and receiving plates from said rolls, a rotary table carrying a plate conveyor, said table being located in a position for receiving on the conveyor thereof 'plates from one of the first mentioned conveyors, and reheating furnaces located laterally of and at opposite sides of said table to and from which plate delivery is made by the table-carried conveyor.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature..

WILLIAM J. S'lOl. 

